Comments on: Chinese Whole Chicken Recipes & Full Guide

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:02:41 +0000

So interesting that they were called “New York dressed.” I wonder if that was due to the fact that Buddhist style chickens were first being sold in the U.S. in NYC? Your steamed custard dish sounds a bit like this recipe: https://thewoksoflife.com/steamed-eggs-with-crispy-pork/

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:01:38 +0000

In reply to Tammy. Thank you for sharing that experience Tammy! I've never canned my own chicken stock before—it was cool to hear about the whole process!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 16:00:26 +0000

In reply to Linda T. Thanks so much for sharing, Linda! Good on you for not wasting anything and making stock with the neck and feet!

By: Linda T

Linda T — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 20:42:15 +0000

This is very informative, thank you. I have been buying Bo Bo chickens for years from my Latino butcher, but the head/neck and feet are removed and sold inside the bird if the customer wants them (I use them for stock). It is interesting to learn about the significance of leaving them on.

By: Tammy

Tammy — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 03:34:33 +0000

Well, our traditional humane way of butchering chickens won’t work for this–we killed them by completely removing the head. We also learned very quickly to hang our chickens when we butchered them. After cutting off the head, nerve reflexes make the chicken act very agitated-they beat their wings and kick their feet aggressively enough that they will break bones against the ground if we didn’t hang them. I have heard of killing chickens by wringing their necks but none of us had the knack for doing it. (My brother and father often tore the heads off when they tried it; it wouldn’t always work for me when I did it.) Otherwise, there is nothing different about butchering a chicken. Dad would laugh at the FDA guidelines to not wash the chicken; he always washed the plucked chickens outside in cold water in a dedicated double tub we used for butchering and in our meat shop. Before use it was sponged down with a white vinegar solution (and a little vinegar went in the wash water too. We used cooking grade white vinegar, not cleaning grade white vinegar.). Afterwards, we cleaned it with steaming hot water, soap and bleach to prevent cross contamination. (It also got sluiced down with boiling water after cleaning before we put it back in the shop.)
The really funny thing about butchering chicken though? We saved the heads and the feet for making canned chicken stock. The well cleaned heads and feet were put in a kettle with cold water that was brought to a slow boil, cooked for ten minutes, then the water and dirty foam was drained away. The heads and feet were then roasted in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes before being returned to the pot with a head of garlic, three or four quartered onions and a cut up carrot with enough clean water to cover. The pot was brought to a light boil, then the temperature was lowered enough so you had a slow simmer and the pot was left to cook for 12 to 24 hours. we checked every 2 to 3 hours and added water as needed to keep the feet and heads submerged. After cooking the broth/stock was strained through cloth, left in the refrigerator overnight to cool down and congeal the fat on top. The fat was removed and saved for use in making smaltz (a chicken fat butter alternative). The stock/broth was then pressure canned and stored in a cool dry place after the jars were wiped down and marked with the date and contents.

By: Deon Matzen

Deon Matzen — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 23:09:21 +0000

We use to be able to get these chickens at the Pike Place market in Seattle. They were called “New York dressed” chicken.
When I lived in Beijing, I had a dish of soft steamed custard made with chicken broth and with an condiment placed on top in the center. I just loved the whole thing, but the condiment was my favorite. It was the chicken brain steamed on the top of the custard. Amazingly delicious. Unfortunately I no long raise my own chickens so these are not available to me. I have made the Hainan Island version many times and it is great.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 22:09:49 +0000

In reply to Chris. Thanks for sharing, Chris!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 22:09:31 +0000

In reply to Bonnie C.. That's fair, Bonnie! Thanks for reading anyway!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 22:08:02 +0000

In reply to May. Love that, May! Glad you enjoyed this post, and that it brought back memories!

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 16 Dec 2023 21:21:20 +0000

Learned from another blog that to ensure the cooking liquid is properly staying on the inside of the chicken, and also to drain the liquid when done, make a slash at the base of the neck to create a “thoroughfare” for the liquid, assuming the tail end is open.